Stories for December 8th 2018

As the project to rename Santiago's international airport is back under the spotlight, feminist groups have brought the attention to the fact that 1971 Literature Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda is not worthy of that honour.

Brazil's former president, Lula da Silva, says he was jailed to prevent him from winning the 2018 presidential election which saw far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro elected. In an exclusive interview with the BBC via letters from his cell, Lula said Judge Sergio Moro “did politics and not justice” when he sentenced him.

Brazil's right-wing President-elect Jair Bolsonaro named a pro-life evangelical pastor to head a new ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights that will also take over the agency looking after the country's 850,000 indigenous people. Damares Alves, a lawyer, preacher and congressional aide, is a staunch opponent of legalizing abortion, which is allowed only in cases of rape, anencephaly or when the mother's life is in danger.

Brazil's environmental regulator on Friday denied French oil giant Total a license to drill for crude in five blocks near the mouth of the Amazon river. Regulatory agency Ibama said the license was denied “due to a set of technical problems” identified during the application process.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s chief financial officer faces U.S. accusations that she covered up her company’s links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions, a Canadian prosecutor said on Friday, arguing against giving her bail while she awaits extradition.

The Gibraltar Government would urge the UK to “stop Brexit completely” if MPs vote against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement next week, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said. Speaking to GBC after returning to Gibraltar from London, Picardo highlighted two important developments this week which he said had opened up new possibilities as the UK Parliament grapples with the Brexit divorce deal this week.

The UK should pursue the so-called Norway plus option - if Theresa May's Brexit plan is rejected by MPs on Tuesday, according to Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. In an interview with The Times, Ms Rudd said she still supported the PM's plan - but added a variation of Norway's set-up was the best alternative.

Michael O’Leary was announced as the winner of the world’s worst boss at the 4th International Trade Union Confederation World Congress in Copenhagen. The ITUC representing 207 million workers, is meeting in Copenhagen with more than 1200 delegates from 132 countries.